A MAN has been charged with arson with intent to endanger life following a fire in Beaumaris.

North Wales Police said Carl Baden Jones, 56, was also charged with breaching a restraining order following the incident on Saturday, February 20.

Four fire crews were sent to a property on Ffordd Meigan at 9.06am.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said that due to current staffing issues at the Menai Bridge and Beaumaris fire stations they were unable to send full crews.

A woman was also arrested after the house fire.

Mr Jones will appear in court this morning.

Nobody was harmed during the incident.

A police spokesperson said: "Following an investigation by detectives from across North Wales, 56 year old local man, Carl Baden Jones was charged on Sunday night, 21st of February with Arson with Intent to endanger life, following the fire at a property at Ffordd Meigan in Beaumaris on Saturday.

"He has also been charged with an additional offence of breaching a restraining order, and remanded to appear before Llandudno Magistrates Court this morning."

DCI Brian Kearney said: "I would like to thank our colleagues in the fire service for their efforts in preventing this fire from spreading, the witnesses who have come forward and assisted the investigation, and reassure the public that this is an isolated incident in our community."

Stuart Millington, assistant chief fire officer said: “I would like to commend the quick thinking of our control room staff who alerted crews in both Menai Bridge and Beaumaris and who were then able to combine crews from both locations and attend the incident to begin firefighting as quickly as possible. I would also like to commend firefighters who attended the incident and worked hard to bring the fire under control and prevent damage to neighbouring properties.

“Of course our preference would always be to have crews available in each of our fire stations, but this is becoming increasingly difficult in less well populated parts of North Wales.”

Gwyn Williams, watch manager from Menai Bridge fire station said: “Having crews available during the day is increasingly difficult. The days when primary employers would let personnel leave work and attend calls are over. There has been Service recruitment activity for Menai Bridge and we have 12 people interested in joining the team. However, Covid-19 and the disruption to the availability of training has restricted our ability to maintain crewing levels.

“This has meant that these potential firefighters are not currently available to us. In addition colleagues from the station have recently retired from the Service which leaves us with limited personnel to crew the appliance. I am dedicated to keeping Menai Bridge available to the community and am hopeful that the people interested in joining our team will be available once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted and the required training courses can fully resume.”